The Puffer Forum

I'm new to marine aquaria.... from what I've read my gsp would prefer high end brackish 1.015 any live rock I'd want would be full marine... Is there a happy medium? Or do I skip live rock with a gsp? Petey is in an acclimation tank while he changes over from fw and while his big tank gets setup and properly cycled.

I am running my GSPs at full marine for improved water quality, and as a side benefit, they spend a lot of time examining the rock for edible bits and are much more interested in it than any other decor I've tried. I've actually had good luck so far with the small mushroom corals I've added experimentally, no nibbling yet.

I know this is a dead thread but I'm bringing it back to life . I keep my GSP at full marine conditions with live rock and so far every things doing great!!! Puff especially loves searching the rocks for edibles. It keeps him happy and busy during the day. So for anyone wondering the same thing, yes you can add live rock for a GSP in MARINE conditions, I'm not so sure about brackish though.

Live rock will start to die around 1.020.

Also, make sure the puffer is used to living in saltwater before doing the puffer + live rock tank. I've read about, and seen, small puffers not doing well at all in high brackish to full salt.

Long term testing has shown that full grown GSP's do best in high brackish to full marine conditions. Most people take them to full marine so they can have the benefit of live rock and protein skimmers.

No one's really done long term tests with younger GSP's to know for sure yet how it affects them, but yes, common sense says make the change gradually and be prepared to lower the salinity if the puffer seems stressed.

I'm right now adding live rock with my puffers and they haven't shown any stress having the salinity gradually raised over the last year. Btw, since I've set up my skimmer I've already noticed an improvement in water quality after only 1 week.

Once you see all the nasty-smelling gunk the skimmer gets out, you'll wonder how your fish could ever swim in there!

I've always wondered this so to add on, how big were the puffers that you guys moved into full marine/live rock territory? Aside from the "traditional" approach.

Anyone know the longest that someone has had a puffer in marine, starting from a young age?

All that info is in the GSP article at our Library.

No not really.

Like I said I'm not talking about the traditional methods related to size. I'm talking about people who put them into saltwater at a young age, how they have been doing since, and how long it's been.

That's a good Q. I also would like to know the long-term effects of bumping juvies up to SW.

A few members have tried it, but I can't remember their names, and I don't recall that they ever really kept up with updates. You might find something by doing a search of the forum.

I had a juvie at full marine for over a year, but recently moved him back down to low brackish because he's too aggressive to be in with Shakespeare, who is very, VERY mellow. He seemed fine at full marine, and seems equally fine now at about 2" SG 1.006, no stress signs even during acclimation.

Thanks for the info.

I may try it with mine, I have 2 that are just under 2 inches but I mainly want to so I can use my skimmer and have live rock. I tried searching but couldn't find much other than people just asking about it as well, so that's why I asked in here. I was hoping someone had them in for a long run but it sounds like they'll do just fine.

I got a GSP puffer at about 2", I slowly raised him to saltwater over a 4 month period. Chong is now 3.5" and is still living in my saltwater tank. My sg is 1.020. He has been in sw for 14 months.